US771127A

US771127A - Shipping-crate.

Info

Publication number: US771127A
Application number: US17544103A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Corner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1903-10-02
Filing date: 1903-10-02
Publication date: 1904-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 1921-09-27

Description

No. 771,127. PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

W. J. CORNER.

SHIPPING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 2, 1903 N0 MODEL.

Witnesses: IJWeTflIQTW.

i5 by many-s.

UNITED STATES Patented September 2'7, 1904.

WILLIAM J. CORNER, OF COLFAX, IOWA.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,127, dated September 27, 1904. Application filed October 2, 1903. Serial No. 175,441. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. CORNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at GolfaX, county of Jasper, and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of shipping crates especially designed for use in connection with fruits that may be easily crushed or broken in transportationsuch,for instance, as bananas or melons.

My objects are, first, to provide a crate of this class of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction, the economy in construction beingobtained, first, by providing a crate in which the fabric is connected with the frame by being tacked or nailed between straight Wooden strips, thus avoiding the expense of sewing or stitching it; second. by forming the frame complete of straight Wooden strips which need not be bent nor formed into hoops, and, third, by suspending the containing-receptacle in a frame by the use of cords, which are simply passed through holes in the strips of the receptacle and tied to the frame.

A further object is to provide a crate of this class in which any of the parts may be removed for purpose of repair or replacement quickly and at a slight expense.

A further object is to provide a crate of this class in which the contents of the receptacle may rest only upon those portions of the fabric that are stretched taut between the supporting-strips of the receptacle and the contents cannot touch any portion .of the fabric that rests against the strips, so that the contents cannot be injured by the supporting-strips of the receptacle.

A further object is to provide a crate of this class thatmay be readily and easily folded to occupy a minimum of space. a

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the complete crate in position for use. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged detail sectional view through two of the supporting-strips of the containing-receptacle. Fig. 3 showsa transverse sectional view on the indicated line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the modified form of frame capable of being folded.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the containing-receptacle is composed of a fabricsuch, for instance, as burlapsupported by means of straight strips. The strips which connect with the fabric and the containing-receptacle are formed as follows: The fabric, which is substantially rectangular, has two of its edges attached to the straight wooden strips 10 and 11. These strips are then secured together with the edges of the fabric between them. While this is being done the portion of the fabric opposite from the edges is clamped between two similar strips '12 and 13. Then the portions of the fabric diametrically opposite from each other and midway between the points previously provided with strips are then clamped between

similar strips

12 and 13. The edges of the fabric are indicated in Fig. 2 by the

numerals

14 and 15. The portions of the fabric clamped between the

strips

12 and 13 are indicated by the numeral 16, and those portions of the fabric stretched taut between the strips are indicated by the numeral 17 Obviously when the strips are placed in a position shown in Fig. 2 an open-ended bag will be formed, the four sides of which will be straightthat is to say, the bag will be substantially square in cross-section. The ends of the bag may be closed by means of cords 18, tied to the fabric.

The frame of the crate is preferably composed of four uprights 19. Near the upper and lower ends of said uprights are the rectangular frames composed of wooden strips 20, secured to the uprights 19, and on each side of the frame thus formed I secure a brace 21, preferably arranged at an angle of about forty-five degrees to stiffen the frame. I support the receptacle within the frame and at the same time keep the sides of the receptacle stretched taut by means of a number of cords 22, passed through openings in the strips of the receptacle and having their ends passed around the corner-pieces 19 and tied.

In assembling the parts of the crate I first secure one of the strips of the receptacle to one of the uprights 19 by means of the cords 22 in such manner that the strip will stand substantially parallel to the upright and at a slight distance therefrom. I then tie the cords to the strip opposite to the upright and stretch them taut. I. then tie both of the other strips to the remaining uprights, and the cords are all stretched taut, thus forming an open-ended bag in which the fabric between the strips is tightly stretched and the contaming-receptacle or bag is prevented from striking upon any of the frame parts.

In the modification shown in Fig. f I have illustrated a form of frame that may be folded or collapsed. This frame differs from the frame previously described only in that the cross-pieces 20 at the top and bottom on two sides of the frame are divided in their centers and the hinges 23 provided to connect these parts, the outer ends of the hinged cross-pieces being pivoted to the uprights 19. All of these hinged cross-pieces are arranged so that the hinged portions fold inwardly and obviously when the hinges are folded the sides may come together, and the crate will fold or collapse.

In practical use I provide for constructing the receptacle cheaply and quickly and Without the use of sewing or stitching, as follows: The fabric, which may be burlap, is placed upon a flat-topped table, and two edges thereof are brought together and secured to each other by placing the two strips 10 and 11 on opposite sides of said edges and then connecting said strips by tacks or nails. While this is being done at one edge of the table an operator at the other edge of the table connects the

strips

12 and 13 to the folded central portion of the fabric. Then the strips attached to the fabric are placed in the central portion of the table, and the fabric between the strips is laid flat upon the table, and the remaining strips are secured thereto in the same way by an operator at each side of the table. These strips are each provided with a number of openings through which short pieces of cord are passed. The frames may be put together independently, and the frames are all made of straight wooden strips which need not be accurately constructed, nor do they need a finish of any kind. Hence the frames may be made very cheaply and quickly and at the same time will be quite strong. The receptacle is placed in the frame by means of the cords, as before stated. The particular advantage in having the bag or the containingreceptacle rectangular in cross-section is that when the bunch of bananas or other article substantially round in cross-section is placed in the bag the article will engage and rest upon only those portions of the fabric that stand midway between the wooden strips, and said article will not engage the fabric near the wooden strips, so that when the crate is shaken or jarred the article contained therein will notbe thrown against any rigid strip or frame-piece Whatever.

For convenience in storing the crates and for shipping them when empty I have provided for folding the frames by placing hinges in the side pieces thereof. The containingreceptacle in this form of the device is exactly the same, and it will readily fold whenever its supporting-frame is folded.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is

1. The combination of a flexible bag, angular in cross-section, strips secured to the bag at the corners thereof and extended longitudinally of the bag and a frame on the exterior of the bag supporting said strips and holding the sides of the bag stretched taut between the strips.

2. The combination of a flexible bag, angular in cross-section, strips permanently secured to the bag at the corners thereof and extended longitudinally of the bag and a folding frame on the exterior of the bag supporting said strips and holding the sides of the bag stretched taut between the strips.

3. The combination of a flexible bag, angular in cross-section, a pair of strips at each corner of the bag having a portion of the bag inserted between them and held therein and a frame on the exterior of the bag holding said pairs of strips separated and stretching taut the sides of the bag between said pairs of strips.

4:. The combination of aflexible bag, a number of pairs of strips, each pair extended longitudinally of the bag at one corner thereof and having a portion of the bag inserted between them, means for connecting each pair of strips and for supporting the portion of the bag inserted between them, an independent rigid frame surrounding the bag, and means for supporting the pairs of strips by the said frame.

5. The combination of a flexible bag, a number of pairs of rigid strips, each pair extended longitudinally of the bag, having a portion of the bag inserted between them and each pair of strips secured together, an independent rigid frame surrounding the bag and cords attached to said frame and to the pairs of strips stretching the bag taut between the pairs of strips.

6. A crate comprising a flexible receptacle, straight strips secured thereto, said strips having openings therein, a frame and a number of cords passed through the openings in the strips and tied to the frame.

7. A crate comprising a flexible receptacle, a number of pairs of straight strips extended longitudinally of the receptacle and attached thereto by having portions of the receptacle placed between the strips of each pair, and means for connecting the strips of each pair and for securing the receptacle between the strips of each pair, a frame and cords attached to each pair of strips and tied to the frame.

8. An improved shipping-crate comprising in combination a containing-receptacle composed of a fabric having two edges placed to-' gether, two strips having said edges placed between them, said strips being connected With each other, a number of pairs of straight strips arranged parallel With the first pair, fixed together and clamping aportion of the fabric between them, connecting device attached to these pairs of strips and a frame in- WILLIAM J. CORNER.

Witnesses:

J. RALPH ORWIG, W. R. LANE.